After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 95

Qun Qing sent word that Prince Zhao had been imprisoned. Among the emperor’s sons, only the Princes of Yan and Zhao could lead armies. Now that Prince Zhao was deposed, people in Southern Chu wasted no time praising her. The very next morning, she received a note and ten of her trusted agents, along with a letter from Wei Ran.

Wei Ran’s letter said that her mother, Lady Zhu Ying, had recovered but was still unhappy. She was resting at Wei Ran’s home, so Qun Qing didn’t need to worry. Below the letter, two stylized birds were drawn flying through clouds. Qun Qing used a needle to cut along their outlines. When she held the paper up to the window, the light shone through four carved characters on the wall:

“Safe and well—seek not.”

Only her mother would send such a secret message. Zhu Ying must still be alive in Southern Chu, but proud enough to refuse help—she preferred they stay apart. Maybe she underestimated Qun Qing’s stubbornness.

Learning her mother was alive on her wedding day gave Qun Qing a real comfort. At dawn, she bathed, tied her hair up neatly, and put on layers of red wedding robes.

Three women had already come to help. One curtsied. 

“Congratulations, young mistress. I’m Lady Wang—I was asked to style your hair.”

Qun Qing looked in the mirror and saw Qun Cang’s gentle eyes. In his hand, he held three copper coins. 

He smiled, “When you leave, I will tuck these into your sash as wedding gifts.”

Her heart fluttered. This wasn’t the real Qun Qing standing here, but she realized something: by marrying Lu Huating, she could use his power to expose and punish Meng Guangshen, finally clearing her father’s name. Then she could accept this gift without guilt.

“They say black, glossy hair brings good fortune,” a maid said as she pinned Qun Qing’s hair up. Another added, “Your brows are so delicate.”

Qun Qing sat still as they worked. The third maid slipped a small wooden box into her hand. Qun Qing opened it, stared at the little carved figures on the lid, then calmly snapped it shut.

“Such poise—I’ve never seen a bride so composed,” the maid admired.

Qun Qing said nothing. She didn’t care about the box. Lady Wang then handed her a fan. Its embroidery was rough and simple. Quietly, Qun Qing fetched needle and thread and neatly restitched the stitches, while the other women watched in surprise.

Suddenly, a distant rumble came through the window. Lady Wang flung it open. 

“They’re here early!”

Qun Qing peered out into the light rain. There was her bridal sedan, bright red on the street. Lu Huating, dressed in red, sat on a white horse. His servant Jian Su and the others followed in new ceremonial robes.

The rain made his colors stand out even more. People on the street turned to stare, but he paid no mind, holding the reins as his horse shifted its feet.

He looked up at the window. Qun Qing closed it, finished two last stitches, cut the thread, and said, 

“Let’s go.”

When the sedan reached Prince Yan’s mansion, trumpets and drums greeted them—but dark clouds had gathered overhead.

Shou Xi warned, “Look at those clouds—if it pours, we’ll all get drenched.”

Inside the sedan, neither Qun Qing nor Lu Huating spoke. The Crown Prince’s carriage stopped by the gates, and the guards ordered silence. This gilded sedan slipped in, then stood waiting as porters helped Qun Qing alight.

She stepped down in her green wedding robe, golden shoes, and held her fan before her face. She didn’t reach for Lu Huating’s hand, but walked straight ahead. Her hem fluttered in the breeze, creating a moment of quiet tension.

Following Lady Wang’s orders, she held her fan up as six maids laid a red carpet leading to the bridal chamber.

Moments later, a sweet citrus scent drifted over. Lu Huating came beside her and quietly said, 

“I hope you don’t think me ungrateful.”

Qun Qing didn’t answer.

“Besides our marriage, placing you here under my protection was the only way to keep you safe. Was there really another choice?”

She looked at him. “Marriage is not a joke.”

Lu Huating studied her face, then smiled gently. 

“Is there someone else you’d rather marry?”

She shook her head. “I never thought about it. My future was meant for my role in the palace—this marriage will delay any other plans. Even if we part one day, finding another match won’t be easy.”

Qun Qing lowered her gaze, staring at the brazier at her feet. Lu Huating saw she wouldn’t move, so he stepped forward and crossed it himself, then turned back toward her and reached out his hand.

The palace maids in their embroidered robes looked at each other, even Li Huan—seated at the head of the hall—furrowed his brow. After all, it’s the bride who crosses the brazier first. Since when does the groom go first?

Just as Qun Qing was about to place her hand in Lu Huating’s, Li Xuan set down his wine cup. His eyes were sharp and cold. Beneath his sleeve, his fingers pressed against a hidden mechanism embedded in his cuff. It was part of his personal defense gear. His fingers lingered over it for a moment, then gave a sudden flick. It was an incredibly simple motion, yet he had poured a tremendous amount of force into it. The mechanism sprang to life with a sharp crack.

That sleeve gadget shot through the air, heading straight for Lu Huating’s back.

Thought for a second

That moment, Qun Qing and Zhu Su both heard a breeze, but Lu Huating’s grip on her hand only tightened for an instant before he let go, acting as if nothing had happened. Qun Qing looked up from her fan and met his dark eyes—his pale face was calm, a faint smile on his lips, while the music around them still rang out in celebration.

For a moment, Qun Qing wondered if she’d imagined it. Amid the applause and cheering, she stepped over the brazier’s coals.

“Let’s return to the palace,” the Crown Prince said, lowering the curtain of his carriage and quietly instructing Shouxi. His voice was so soft it seemed drained of all warmth. The carriage slipped away without a sound, as if it had never been there.

Inside the bridal chamber, the maids and eunuchs clapped and cheered until the newlyweds finally arrived at the green pavilion. But beneath the silk canopies of the bridal bed, Prince Yan’s instructor—tasked with guiding Qun Qing—sat with a furrowed brow.

The two of them hardly looked like a happy couple.

At the hair-tying ceremony, Qun Qing had tentatively asked if she could keep her long locks uncut. When she learned it couldn’t be avoided, she’d sat like a statue as a maid snipped a lock of her hair.

Now they stared at the two strands bound together—but neither spoke, and their expressions were anything but joyous.

When it came time to share the ceremonial cup of wine, each raised their goblet and waited for the other to pose properly before their arms finally linked—yet the wine didn’t quite reach their lips.

Qun Qing glanced over to find Lu Huating already drawing her arm close and draining his cup in one go, smiling challengingly with a flash in his dark eyes.

She shifted her own cup forward, pressed her arm against his lips, and said, 

“If you like wine so much, you might as well finish this cup too.”

The instructor gasped, “But the wine is meant to be drunk together!”

By now Lu Huating had indeed drained Qun Qing’s cup as well. He wiped his lips—now a deep crimson color—with a careless flick. Qun Qing felt an indescribable stir in her chest, lifted her fan, and hid her face behind it.

Translator’s Note:

Hi everyone! 

I hope you’re all enjoying the story so far! Just a quick heads-up: updates for all of my novels will be delayed this month. I’ve got some important personal stuff going on, and I haven’t been able to focus on translating as much as I’d like.

Thank you so much to everyone who’s been leaving comments! Reading them really motivates me to keep going and do better—it means a lot.

You might notice some inconsistencies or details that feel a little off in certain chapters. I plan to go back and review the translations and make edits sometime next month. Also, since the original author recently completed the novel, she mentioned in her author notes that she’ll be revising some parts too. So if you spot changes down the line—don’t worry! That’s coming from the source, not just me. 😅

I’ll do my best to keep the translation as faithful and readable as possible. Please keep in mind that Chinese isn’t my first language, and I rely on translation tools and AI to help with the drafts before editing them for clarity and flow.

Lastly, I’ll try to reply to comments whenever I have time! Thank you again for reading and supporting my work—it truly means a lot. 💕